hi can anyone tell me if its safe to split sinemet plus in half . only ive been told to take 1 and a half tablets 4 times a day and i know you cant split some sinemet tablets thanks

Hi stevieg.

I have been splitting Sinemet Plus tablets for several months now, to try to spread the dose out more evenly throughout the day. I have made my neurologist, PD Nurse and GP aware of this, and none of them have said that I should not do this.

In fact, the tablets come with a "line" down the middle, so they are obviously designed to be split in half.

Hope this helps!


Kathy

hi kathy thanks for that but do you have any trouble getting them in half i tried somtimes they do and other times bits fall off them or their not even

You can purchase a pill splitter. Your pharmacist should be able to get them in for you.

I do it all the time, my dyskinesia seems to be worse if I take 2 full tabs in the evening. So I take one and a half. My consultant knows and is perfectly happy.

Not that i would worry too much.

I also take chocolate with my tablets, with no problems whatsoever. Dyskinesia I cant even spell it.

It is so-called (confusingly) Half Sinemet or Sinemet CR(Controlled Release) you should not split.If you did, it would destroy its coating and its controlled release function.
Sinemet tablets are quite fragile, so difficult to split consistently in half, so why not ask for Sinemet 62,5 mg tablets (yellow) to go with your Sinemet Plus(125mg)blue tablets?

Hi stevieg / Eck / Kate.

I have never bothered with a pill splitter. It's true that Sinemet Plus tablets do not always "break even" (so to speak!), but most of the time they do and, to be honest, I am on so much medication now that if, on the odd occasion, I take half a tablet which isn't exactly a half, it barely makes any difference.

If splitting tablets is a problem for anybody, then yes, Sinemet 62.5mg tablets are an option. Sinemet CR (Controlled Release) tablets are different and should not be split, from what I understand.

For the record, I take Sinemet Plus 125mg tablets (100mg Levodopa + 25mg Carbidopa) which are yellow, not blue!


Kathy

My mistake,always thought they were blue. I take the yellow 62,5mg tablets, as total tablet intake is still (certainly by PD standards)very low.

Anyone read the Mail on Sunday. page 36, right hand side.
Very interesting. Does this finally explain where the sinemet has been going.
Am I surprised, No I'm not.Am I disgusted Yes I am.
annesel

Sorry, forgot to say. It looks like it is a marketing stratagy after a all.
They get more money for it by exporting it.

I was not sure where to put this post so it ended up in treatments.
annesel

I take 3 stavelo a day,but finding I need something to get me though the evening,I tried taking an extra dose of stavelo but that seems to make me shaky and jerky,thinking maybe need something not so strong.Not really sure if sinemet plus contains less.I sleep very well most nights so don't need anything for night.

Dot x